The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-03-29
BIG LIQUOR BILLS.
And Why Should Not the Women
Have Part of the Fun.
Toronto Globe.


The liquor bills of the United States and
Canada, as given from the carefully prepar-
ed statistics Of the last census, are formida-
BILE documents, and appear even more so
when compared or contrasted with the sums
which, on the same authority, are every year
expended on other or more useful articles
Though, Of course, these statistics refer to
the census year, yet relatively they are as
accurate as when they were compiled. The
efforts of total abstainers may have some
what diminished the consumption per capita
but the proportion between the expenditures
on the different articles and objects is very
much the same as it was six years ago. Let
us see how the matter stands. Both the
states and Canada are understood to be
Christian countries. AT least a very great
majority OF their inhabitants claim to be
CHRISTIANS, and to be shaping their lives on
Snfistiaa principles; Yet here we have the
fact. that while the people Of the States
spend nine hundred millions of dollars on
intoxicating liquors every year, they spend
only four millions and a half for the support
OF Christian missions in heather lands And
while Canada's yearly drink bill amounts TO
$27, ,623, 900, her annual foreign mission fund,
raised by all the different Christian denomi-
nations in the land, does not exceed S4OO 500
In other words, the people of the States
optuQ NOJ Llilco Llt amount OF money on n
toxicating liquors which they do on Chris
tian missions to the heathen, and those of
Canada about 20 times as much.
While the liquor bill in the States is so
enormous, we might expect to find other ex-
penditures on similar scale. 1t Is not So
however. On bread the yearly expenditure
in the States is only S505, 900. 600. and on
meat only S303, ,000, 900, while in Canada it Is
respectively s3l, $4,000 and So, ,475, 900. Ii
would be tedious to go over all the particu-
fr1a af
strikingly; The people of the States spend
on all kinds OF w0olen goods only about one
fourth OF the money which they every wear
give for Intoxicating liquors, while their
eoot and shoe Dill is Just about fifth; that
f0r their sugar molasses about sixth;
and that on education of all kinds less than
an eleventh. In Canada things are not SO
bad, but even here 1T is bad enough in all
conscience; while Canada's drink bill is S27-
623, 1000 she spends only about S13,OOO.OOO on
all kinds of cotton goods, and can only man
age some eighteen millions for all her boots
and shoes. There is little over nine mil
lions worth of sugar and molasses consumed
and the educational expenditure often
required to foot our liquor bill.
The tobacco bill both here and in the
States is also exceedingly formidable.
Let anyone try to estimate the amount of
waste, waste, and worse than waste, involved in
those two items-tobaccs and intoxicating
De ashamed of ourselves. And who in these
Two particulars are the great wasters? Evil
dently and confessedly-tho men. The
quantity Of intoxicating liquors and tobacco
consumed by women is apparently insigni-
ncant Ii women were in these respects do
ing as the men do we should be beginning
to thing that everything was rushing fast to
destruction. 1t would not be easy to say
why, for II such things are good foI men
they can nht be bad for women. Still the
men would take up their lamentation all the
same, and with some reason, we must ac-
knowledge Women busy themselves with
mission, White Cross and temperance work,
while the men in general find themselves
more at home in drinking and smoking. Is
this as it ought to be? Is this what might
be expected after all the profession Of zeal
Tor education, morality and religion that is
everywhere rife.
Hsw the world would stare if our wives
and sisters and daughters, to say nothing Of
our mothers, crowded the bar rooms and
treated all roundl Yet why not? If it is
right Tor one half Of the race it cannot be
wrong for the other.